Summary:Bast seeks out T'Challa with news Log Info:Storyteller: None |
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T'Challa has been rather busy of late. Between research, helping to direct relief efforts into the Disaster Zone, business ventures and the occasional bit of leisure time he has a very full plate. Add to that taking short trips into the underworld to map out where all the cracks in it are and he hasn't really been getting a whole lot of sleep.
Not that he lets a little thing like that prevent him from coming out to one of the buildings housing displaced DZ residents. One of the ones that Jesana was supposedly guarding. There's a truck here offloading food and checking in on things, making sure the building is still livable and changing the portable restrooms. Those had been a necessity and with sanitation not otherwise available keeping them clean and well stocked is a priority.
It's still rather cool in New York and T'Challa is walking outside the building, standing apart from the work going on, observing. He does that a lot, hands clasped behind his back.
Jesana has spent the majority of her time in coyote form. That is once she'd convinced these people that she really was there to help, she really didn't want to steal from or hurt or otherwise mess up what they had going and she would indeed go to rather extreme lengths to do just what she'd claimed, which is protect them while she roots out the cause of their dilemas. That she hasn't made a huge amount of progress on yet, it took awhile to convince these poor wary people. She's used to this kind of mindset from the reservations though and knew how to handle it.
What she isn't used to is the smell of the outhouses and the people who are trying their best, but really need access to more facilities. Like, yesterday. Besides, she can hear better, see better and scent better like this and the bad guys have no idea she isn't a stray dog. Jesana is having a lot more fun with this job than she'd expected to. So she's in a good mood when she spots T'Challa and starts creeping up on him. Oh, that is nice. He doesn't need a bath. He does need sleep though. Her fur bristles and she pauses, peering around the building in search of Mari. If the other woman gets the drop on her she'll never live it down. Alcohol consumption isn't in the plans at the moment what with all the work. She drools a little. Just a tiny bit. Oh ancestors she wants a drink…
Mari isn't channelling any spirits at the moment, but she is speaking to a mother and little boy not far from T'Challa. Whilst she's keeping an eye on T'Challa she hasn't seen the Coyote yet and isn't likely to.
She's here as much as Mari McCabe as she as Vixen - which means she's in tailored pants, blouse and blazer.
"T'Challa, if you have a moment, this young man would like to meet you." She calls out.
"Of course." T'Challa hasn't spotted the sneaking Coyote either or if he has he hasn't made any sign of it. He moves, apparently oblivious to Jes sneaking up behind him and crouches down. "Hello there. You told Mari you wanted to speak to me?"
It's not unusual for people to want to talk to him. He has a presence. He's sort of famous. He's royalty after all and he's NOT from around here. There are dozens of questions people want to ask.
Like 'did you know a dog is sneaking up on you'?
Spotting Mari and the boy, Jesana relaxes but shifts back to human to continue her sneaking once someone points her out. Not usuing any illusions or such to hide herself she's not really able to just blend in at the moment. Mari's outfit might mark her as not belonging her, Jesana's lack of one marks her as well. At least most of her silver and torquise jewelry is gone. She keeps giving it to the kids. There's only one necklace, a few anklets and bracelets left. The brief fringed top and skirt in snow-white immaculate leather so don't belong in this mess. Still, she's remarkably quiet and the wind is in her favor.
Putting a finger to her lips and winking at the child and his mother, Jesana creeps forward in a very exaggerated manner. She's putting on a small show. These people don't get to laugh nearly enough. Her eyes don't even narrow at the dog comment! Much.
"Go ahead, William." Mari encourages. His mother does too, though she seems to be very shy in the situation.
"I just wanted … wanted to say … thank you, Sir." The young boy chatters, looking beyond T'Challa and watching Jes drawing near. He can't help but grin, giving the whole thing away, but tries to quickly hide it when he looks back to the Wakandan.
Mari manages to keep her face impassive as Jes sneaks closer.
"I was sick and you and the others helped me get better." William says. He means the medical attention they've sent done here. Now that he's close, T'Challa can see the boy has small little horns on his head. A mutant.
T'Challa smiles. "You're quite welcome William." The prince ruffles the boy's head and stands up and that's when Jes reaches him. He jumps a little and turns before letting out a sigh of relief. "Oh Jesana, it's you."
He looks at Mari somewhat suspiciously. "You saw her." It's almost accusatory. Almost.
Before any reply can be given everything seems to kind of freeze. Then the people and landscape fade out and the sky becomes bright with stars. The land now looks wild. Savannah or Serengeti. And then… eyes.
Two big glowing eyes begin stalking toward them.
A great cat. And when we say 'great cat', it's a panther. It's a panther the size of a school bus.
T'Challa immediately drops to one knee.
Though she doesn't remember even a fraction of it, Jesana has always had a soft spot for people like these. The downtrodden and abused, the minorities. The old and broken and strange. She's put every effort into befriending them, finding no job too distasteful and making more than a little progress on her charm and looks alone. The fact that she pitches in the most awful of tasks without the slightest hesitation and seems willing to do anything to look out for them has also helped. The woman might be scary and sometimes some really strange shit happens in her presence but she's quickly becoming *their* scary lady.
Jesana chortles at T'Challa, winks at the others and buffs her nails on her skirt. "You need.." She pauses and looks up at the stars, then the savannah. Before she can decide how she feels about this development T'Challa is dropping to a knee. The demigod blinks twice, the only sign of her surprise. Why would he kneel? He doesn't seem the type to really..she vaguelly recalls something Mari said before, about.. whatwasit? A goddess maybe. The amount of things she doesn't pay attention to… Jesana shrugs then bristles slightly. Anyone, african goddess or not, they aren't stepping into her terrority without permission and that is what this place is at the moment. Hers. However.. She looks at T'Challa and then at the kid and sighs. Perhaps springing to the attack is really not the best approach. "Hello, pretty Lady." Jesana purrs instead. What? It's true and the sand and wind and desert plant scent is so much better than what she's been getting lately. It's not diplomatic but its not, not diplomatic! Right?
She's not gonna mention the cat she had for breakfast. That has to count for something.
"We might have…" Mari chuckles and William giggles as his mother takes him away.
At least, Mari thinks she does because the boy and his mother fades, leaving just the three of them, on the Savannah. And there's eyes. Eyes that Mari recognises.
Not thinking about the fact she's wearing dress pants, Mari takes a knee as well and looks just between the Panthers ears. "Hail Goddess." She says clearly.
She doesn't tell Jes to kneel. This will sort itself out … in a moment.
"Hail Mari McCabe, keeper of the Spirit." The Panther says. And then she looks at Jesana.
"I would say well met, Trickster, but I am not yet certain of that. I have seen the chaos rippling in your wake and I have to wonder where your father is if you are about."
This is starting well.
The Panther turns into a woman with a sort of 'Catherine Zeta Jones' haircut. She folds her arms and motions for T'Challa and Mari to rise. She doesn't appear to be about to insist that Jes kneel which is probably for the best but she is giving the coyote changer a very, very Feline Look.
"What is the news of the Underworld and the Totems, Mari?"
"You honour me, Lady." Mari answers. She's very … understated really.
Her eyes cut between Jesana and the panther, listening carefully and connecting things. "Did you know?" She sotte voca's to T'Challa. Mari hadn't suspected just what Jes was. A mutant was the most likely explanation.
Rising to her feet gracefully when given permission, the spirit caller touches T'Challa's arm - mostly for reassurance for herself. "T'Challa can tell you more of the Underworld, Lady. We found a rift in the Disaster Zone that he managed to close however, our investigations are progressing for the rest of that." As to the totems, Mari draws a breath "I have two in my possession. Well one in my possession, one kept securely with T'Challa. A third is in New York with its bearer. The other three, I am tracking. As far as I can tell, their bearers yet live - to achieve your request, I will need to be … persuasive."
Oooh fun. The Lady knows her. Damn her mutant cover is blown all to hell now. Ah well. Jesana's eyes narrow slightly at the mention of her Father. "Yes well. If *he* shows, he's gonna regret it. This I promise if nothing else." She owes that son of a bitch! And not a hug and a wave hello. It's definitely for the best she isn't asked or expected to kneel. She kneels for no one. Not even her whoreson of a father. "That's actually an insult to.." Grumbling under her breath in half a dozen native tongues, the coyote trickster shakes herself and returns to the conversation. She blinks twice at the now semi-familiar looking woman. Ohho the day just got more beautiful.
Jesana grins saucily. Her expression turns serious though at the mention of the underworld. That is a problem she's also agreed to lend aid to. Meanwhile she focuses her inner eye on this Goddess and T'Challa and even Mari, looking to see their auras and the connections between the three. Partly out of curiousity and partly because there's something here that is poking her subconcious. Perhaps something she saw recently? She just hasn't placed it yet.
There are connections between the three yes. The strongest are between T'Challa and the woman. The next strongest are between T'Challa and Mari and the weakest is between Mari and the woman. And the woman? She has some Power. Capital P. She is a major league goddess on her father's level or above it.
"I see." She says. "Well. My name is Bast." Bast as in… the Egyptian cat goddess. But T'Challa is Wakandan, not Egyptian.
T'Challa shakes his head. "No, I did not. I thought as you did.' That she might be a mutant of some kind.
"I am afraid I bring bad news. I have seen trouble rippling toward you and I know it's name and I know it will arrive soon. Samedi."
Oh. Dear.
Mari isn't aware of the connections at that level but she is incredibly respectful to the Goddess. Poised and not cowed, but respectful.
"Samedi?" Mari frowns and looks at T'Challa, checking her thinking. "Samedi. As in … Baron Samedi? I know little of him except that his name is normally associated with bad news."
"Is it him that is coming or is … he sending trouble our way?"
Our way. Not just Mari's. Silently, she's asking T'Challa if she's remembered correctly.
Jes' cheeky look gets an amused one in return. Mess with Bast at her risk … it will be amusing to watch.
Jesana had gotten that. The Power bit. She can almost taste the savannah after all and while she can do illusions, this is.. another level entirely. Does it give her pause? Nope, not in the slightest. Few things do and often to her great chagrin. However, there's always a chance.. and she keeps taking it. It's her nature afterall. "Oookay." The coyote murmurs in response. She doesn't know a helluva lot about Egyptians or Wakandans. Hell she isn't sure she even knew that was a country before meeting these two. None of this seems to touch the thought trying to emerge from the back of her mind though she lets it go for now. It'll come back to her. Probably.
Trouble huh? She is trouble. With a capital T! oh. "What the hell is a Samedi?" After a moments thought. "Wait. I didn't bring it here. Seriously. I don't even know what it is." 'Though, she'dve said "chaos" not trouble if she meant me, right?' Jesana muses. "I'm not after your, him. Them." She gestures at the pair while looking at Bast. Debates with herself for a moment, knowing this admission could go either way. "I like them. Really. If things had gone my way that first meeting would've ended in hot springs and.. well, not a fight." See, she can be diplomatic. On the one hand she'd rather not end up in this entity's crapbox. On the other, it's the actual truth in this case. Her lips quirk at Mari's apparent amusement. Maybe she should stop trying to poke the..well, Cat. Right now isn't the best time to end up in the Underworld. She's got things to do. Not that ever, is a good time to end up there..but seriously she just got back.
"Baron Samedi yes." Bast confirms without really explaining. It's T'Challa who speaks up.
"The Loa of the Dead, often associated with Voodoo and similar practices." It's a Death God, essentially and that's probably bad news given the state of the underworld. "Why would he be trouble though, as they ask?"
"Because lost souls are always a commodity and right now this place has plenty of them. You need to fix the underworld and send these people on their way or it may become a battleground with death gods vying for the souls here, seeking to bring them to their underworlds to increase their own power."
Jes's rambling gets a somewhat amused look. "Indeed? Even if you did not call his attention, Coyotita, the chaos in your wake will complicate things here greatly. Though perhaps you might find a way to use it to aid this cause, since I doubt YOU want these death gods to gain more power."
Mari gets Basts attention again. "To seal the breach you will need all six. To find the six you will need to trace the threads of their bearers. You already know one. The others will be connected to him. They must follow bloodlines after all. Search there and search swiftly. Your time is limited."
Mari nods slowly. She'd already extrapolated some of that. What she hadn't considered was the battle ground - but that makes sense. "We will close the rift, Lady. I will not let your Champion down and I won't let you or Anansi though."
She might ask T'Challa to speak to the Ancestors again. Maybe.
Jesana blinks. Twice. Well, she had been bored, hadn't she? Maybe one day she'll learn to stop thinking that. That day isn't this one though, apparently. She'd been about to comment on the unusualness of so many different dieties or their aspects mixing but considering the soul situation and her own presence.. things start making sense. A lot of sense actually. "Okay. I guess we've got work to do and quickly. I need to keep at teaching these people and when I've got a chance find that guy again." She'd gotten a picture of him at least.
Jesana frowns a little. "Ya'all got weird underworlds." She drawls. "I mean that nicely. Just, this kinda thing wouldn't fly..Oh." She stops and scowls. The thought that maybe this is why she is really here occuring to her. She does not like to be maniuplated and really the only way to do it is to get her to do something she was likely to do already but.. Hm. Well. It's not as if she's about to bow out now, not when things are finally happening. "Well. Ought to learn a thing or two anyway." She smiles and shrugs. "I guess we better get started."
"I know you will." The Goddess waves her hand and the whole jungle scene begins to fade. "I know you both will. Assist my champion. And Champion… do not fail."
T'Challa nods and bows and then they're back. The people they were talking to don't even know they're gone. T'Challa slides right back into socializing - because he's done this before - but he's already thinking. He's going to need a plan.
And T'Challa always has a plan.